Inheritance
by AdalineSnape
Summary: Do you believe someone has a choice in being light or dark? Do you believe your ancestry matters? Question Hermione Granger thought she knew the answer to, until her seventeenth birthday at least. Follow Hermione's story as she navigates a new life, struggles to keep hold of her old one and becomes one of the most powerful and influential witches the wizarding world has ever known.
1. Chapter 1: Happy Birthday

**Chapter One: Happy Birthday**

 _Do you believe someone has a choice in being light and dark? Do you believe your ancestry matters?_

 _There was a time in my life that these were simple questions; there was only one answer and I would not have heard another argument. That was before I turned 17. See, for muggles 17 has no real significance, but in the wizarding world, one gains their independence, for many purebloods it the time they gain their full inheritance. It is also the day one reaches their full magical capabilities, since the ministry tracker drops and allows full use of magic; it is only bound so that accidental childhood magic doesn't end in mishap. It should be the best day of a young witch or wizards life. My 17th_ _birthday should have been a simple day with time well spent with friends and looking forward to finishing my final year of Hogwarts. Instead the day was the beginning of the most confusing, heart wrenching and thrilling year of my life._

 *** One Year Ago – September 19th** **(morning) ***

"Up, up, up! You're seventeen!" Ginny squealed as she jumped up and down on Hermione's bed.

"Nngh, Gin" the brunette said as she sleepily pulled the toppled covers back up to her chin.

"Come on Hermione! The boys are downstairs waiting for you and you've already got packages in the great hall!"

"Packages?" Hermione mumbled but sat up a little more intrigued.

"Quite a few actually." Ginny said with a tilt to her head.

"Hm." Hermione hummed, her interest piqued. "Alright then, off with you so I can get dressed."

With that Ginny hopped off of Hermione's bed and sat on Lavendar's as the older girl dressed for the day. "Not that top Hermione, it's your birthday, try to look like you're trying a little."

"Well if it's my birthday I should be able to wear whatever I like, shouldn't I?" Hermione said with a grin. Ginny gave a harrumph but smiled. "Guess you're right. Besides, I want to see what you've got!" Ginny finished as she grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her out of the girls dormitory and down the stairs to where the boys waited in the great hall.

"Happy Birthday 'Mione!" Ron said, leaning in and kissing her cheek lightly, holding up a small package in the other.

"Thank you, Ronald." She said with a grin. "Should I open it now?"

"Up to you. You've got loads more, ruddy owl tore my hand up when I was trying to take the pouch from him."

Hermione peered down, interested in the numerous tiny boxes that sat at her breakfast place. They had clearly been shrunk down so the owl could carry it, all except one that is. She stared at the package, ribbons, bows, no letter attached or anything signifying who had sent it. She waved her wand over the package, quickly identifying that the object inside had significant magic attached to it but nothing that was harmful. Carefully she unwrapped the plain brown paper from the small box, slid the top off and picked up the carefully folded letter. She let out a light gasp at the pendant that lay beneath the letter.

"Wow, Hermione. Who sent you that?" Harry said as he leaned further across the table.

An intricate silver pendant lay nestled in the box. The tree of life splayed across the pendant with small emeralds glinting as if leaves. Hermione could feel the magic rolling off of it before she'd even touched it. She felt pulled to it, completely captivated by it. Without realizing she reached forwards and smoothly ran her fingers across it. As she touched it she gave out a gasp and her friends all took a sharp intake of breath. The tables of the great hall fell silent as every witch and wizard in the room felt a force of magic wash over the room. Those at the Gryffindor table began whispering intently, pointing towards the Head Girl, and it quickly spread throughout the great hall until each and every person was staring intently at the girl.

Hermione sat entranced in the pendant, her fingers lightly stroking it, eyes closed and head tipped back just slightly. The oddity, however, was that her hair billowed back as if the wind was caressing it and she shone with a silver hue. With everyone preoccupied by the girl, no other house noticed the confused looks on many of the Slytherins faces. No one noticed the eyes of Severus Snape clearly trained on the girl, his brow creased in what could've been concentration or worry. As the man pushed back his chair and rose, the room erupted into chaos as Hermione Granger disappeared with a loud 'pop'

"Welcome"

Hermione spun on her heel and froze. With a sharp intake of breath she took three quick steps backwards from what one could questionably consider a man.

"Don't be foolish, I know you're smarter than that. If I meant you harm you'd either me screaming on the floor or dead at my feet already." Voldemort said eyeing the girl in front of him.

She straightened herself and tried to calm her breathing. "Then what is it you want?" she said with an even tone, that by no stretch represented the terror she was feeling.

"Merely to say hello. As is the nature of who I am, I could not deliver the gift to you personally." He said with a light wave of his hand to the pendant she still held.

"Gift? From you? But why?"

"Did you not read the note my dear?" he said warmly. _Warmly_ , she thought, _what was happening? Voldemort wasn't warm._ She took another slight step backwards, hoping it came across as a nervous shuffle and eyed the room around her for an escape route. She looked down at the note that was firmly gripped in her other hand and opened it.

 _A family heirloom for you on_

 _your seventeenth birthday. Passed_

 _from one Gaunt to the next for generations._

"Family heirloom? That doesn't explain anything."

"Doesn't it? Think Hermione, I know how smart you are."

"But- it can't be possible."

"Ah, how naïve you are after being kept under Dumbledore's thumb your entire life my dear. Sit, let me explain." He said as two chairs popped into existence. Hermione stood board straight, staring directly at him, unsure of how to process his insinuations. She took another step back, towards the only door in the room. "Sit, Hermione. Now." He commanded. The chair jerked forward, hitting her in the back of the knees and forcing her into the chair. Her body trembled slightly; she hoped he hadn't noticed. She hoped he didn't see the terror and confusion as it wracked her body.

"You were born September 19th, 1980."

"I know that."

"But not to muggle parents. Your parents worshipped you Hermione; they wanted everything for you. You look much like your mother in her youth actually, as well as her temper, but it has become apparent throughout the years that you inherited the power of your father. A true Gaunt through and through."

"I….I don't understand. Gaunt? The last living Gaunt was your Mother and her brother had no siblings. You also had no siblings, she died giving birth to you and you can't…" She trailed off, running through every scenario in her head. It couldn't be. He was deformed, his soul torn into pieces, was her even considered human at all?

"I'm impressed that you know your family history."

"I learned everything I could about your during fifth year." She whispered, her thoughts consuming her.

"Is it clicking into place yet, Hermione? All of the feelings of never fitting in as a child, as if something were missing. The unexplainable power you came to Hogwarts with; trained so easily for one so young. The brightest witch of her age is what they call you, if I recall correctly. The pull, that thirst, for knowledge, Hermione. You want it all, just like me, your father."

"No." she whispered. "No." this time she said it a little stronger, her voice still quiet to her ears. "My parents are Daniel and Jean Granger, they're muggle, they're dentists."

"No, Hermione. Those people raised you, admittedly they seemed to do alright even with their hindrance of being muggles and for that, and your obvious attachment to them, I will permit them to remain alive. However, they are not your parents."

"I don't…I don't understand."

"I'd imagine not, I recognize this may be confusing for you but you must know. When I was temporarily hindered in 1981 –"

"You mean when you tried to murder my best friend?" she said calmly.

"Yes. As I said, when I was hindered, your mother attempted to go into hiding. She, unfortunately, was caught and you were taken from her. Rather than be given to your god parents, you were given to muggles. It is to my understanding that your powers were bound when you were taken, so as to hinder you as incapable as a muggle."

"Then how did I go to Hogwarts?"

"It seems as if the binding did not take; I would assume your accidental magic as a young child was much to strong to be controlled."

She sat there, stunned and unable to focus. It couldn't be true…could it?

"Why now?" she asked.

"You are seventeen. At 3:21 this afternoon you the tracer from the ministry will drop, as will the bind that all magical children have. As soon as that drops you will, legally, come into your inheritance."

"Inheritance?"

"Part of it took place this morning, as soon as you touched the crest." He said indicating to the pendant in her hand. "It will become public knowledge by the evening post, Hermione. You must prepare yourself for what that will mean for you."

"This is all too much! I don't believe you but…"

"But why would I lie? Why would I want a filthy mudblood to think she was my daughter? This will be hard for you to accept, but you will not have a choice once it is known.

"But you could stop it! I know you control the Prophet, you could keep it out of the press!"

"That's correct."

"Then do it."

"No, Hermione. It is time to accept your place. Besides, at best I could keep it out of the prophet but within a few days other publishers would pick up the story. Every inheritance is tracked and ministry workers talk. There will be no hiding from this."

"What do you want from me? Why even tell me?"

"Want from you? I want my daughter back. I want you to be the witch that you should have been raised to be."

"You've been back for years, why now?"

"Would you have believed me without proof?"

"I don't believe you now."

"Exactly. When you have questions this afternoon, send an owl." Without any further explanation Hermione felt her head swirl and then her feet connected to the ground beneath her."

"Ms. Granger." She heard behind her. She turned to see Professor Snape standing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, only a few feet from where she stood.

"Professor?" she murmured, before dropping down to the toppled tree beside her. She dropped her head into her hands, her head swimming.

"Are you alright, Ms. Granger?"

"Did you know?"

"Know?"

"That he was going to take me this morning?"

"Yes."

"That's why you're here then?"

"Yes."

"So it's true then?"

"Yes."

"Can't you bloody well say anything but yes?!" she screamed out at him. Her Professor stared back at her, his expression blank and unreadable. "Oh gods, I'm sorry sir. I don't know what's come over me, I shouldn't have shouted."

"It's alright Ms. Granger, you've had a – excitable morning." He replied, his face still blank.

"What am I to do?"

"Currently I'd ask that you follow me to the Headmasters office." He turned on his heel and took a few steps forward, Hermione standing and slowly following behind. He turned back, "Take this as well, should help to calm your nerves." He said as he handed her a vial of what she recognized as calmly draught. Before she could say thank you he was stalking back towards the castle, cloak billowing behind him.

Professor Snape rapped his knuckles against the large wooden door as the gargoyles slid back into place to cover the entrance behind them.

"Good morning, Severus, Ms. Granger." Headmaster Dumbledore greeted as the two stepped into his office.

"Morning Headmaster." Hermione replied and Professor Snape simply grunted a response, taking a seat in one of the wing backed chairs across from Dumbledore's desk. "Have a seat, Hermione. Oh, lemon drop?" he asked, pushing the bowl across his desk, towards her.

"No thank you, sir."

"Pity, I find them quite relaxing myself."

"Get on with it, I don't have all day to be here."

"Yes, yes. So, it's to my understanding that you spent the last hour having a discussion with your father, correct?" Dumbledore said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. _This man has lost his mind,_ Hermione thought, _he's completely nutters. Great Hermione, you're thinking like Ronald – am I also nutters then?_ She shook her head and straightened up in the chair.

"If what he said if true."

"It is, Ms. Granger. Only about a week after he was defeated, I placed you into the care of your muggle parents."

"Why did you take me?"

"I hoped you could live a normal and fulfilling life as a muggle. Minerva found a muggle couple who had been unable to conceive for years and we hoped it would work out. Unfortunately the binding I placed on you did not fully take and, here we are."

"This is quite a lot to take in, Headmaster."

"Of course, of course my dear. Alas, we are here and you will have to learn to navigate this confusion quite quickly."

"What am I going to do?"

"It's quite simple my dear - Do you believe someone has a choice in being light and dark? Do you believe your ancestry matters?"

 ** _Authors Note: First chapter up! I've got the first few chapters completed; I'm just going through and editing them now. I'd imagine this fic will be somewhere around 40k words when I'm done. At this point I'm unsure whom I plan to pair Hermione with long-term but it will be either Draco or Severus. Let me know what you think!_**


	2. Chapter 2: She's Who!

_**Hello! I'm so overwhelmed by the amazing responses! Thank you! I know everyone has an opinion on who they want Hermione to be with and after sketching out where I'd really like to take this fic, I will actually be pairing her with both Severus and Malfoy throughout it! I'm not sure who she will end up with in the end, who knows maybe both (as some suggested), but there will be both Draco and Severus action! I look forward to reading everyone's reviews and can't wait to see what you think of this new chapter!**_

 **Chapter Two: She's Who?**

 _These were confusing and challenging times. Connections I had had all of my life were falling apart around me, new connections were popping up each day and my friends….oh my friends. I look back on these early days of last year and all I remember is the pain. Being shunned, ridiculed, attacked and worst of all, abandoned._

 *** One Year Ago – September 19** **th** **(afternoon) ***

"I don't understand." Harry said staring back and Hermione.

"To be honest Harry, I don't much understand myself."

The boys sat across from her in their dormitory, Ron refusing to look up and continuing to stare at the floor and Harry staring blankly at her, unsure what to say next. After all, his best friend had just told him she was the daughter of Voldemort. The man who they had spent their entire young adult lives attempting not to be murdered by, the man who killed his parents, the reason Sirius was dead, the reason his life was constantly flipped upside down.

"I can't do this right now. Let's just talk about it later." Harry said, running a hand down his face. "We'll see you at dinner Hermione." He finished up.

"Are you sure? I'd be willing to talk –" she stopped as Ron interrupted her, the look on his face blank and hard.

"He said we'll discuss it later. Go, Hermione."

"But Ron –"

"Get out." He ground out.

Hermione stood quickly and bolted from the room, careful to keep her composure until she reached the girls dormitory. The last thing she needed was more people intrigued with what was going on with her, after all in just a few short hours everyone would have some sort of opinion on Hermione Granger. She tossed herself onto the bed, sniffling slightly but refusing to let the tears fall. _They're just boys and they're upset, rightfully so. I can't even wrap my head around it so how can I expect them to?!_ She continued to run through scenarios in her head until she drifted off to sleep.

"What was her response, My Lord?"

"What do you think her response was Bella? Shocked quite obviously. Years, I've had years that she's been under Dumbledore's thumb. All that she's missed; all that I should have been teaching her. Everything I could've shown her to shape her into the witch she is destined to be." Voldemort hissed out, causing Bellatrix to bow her head lower.

"Did she ask questions?"

"Yes Bellatrix."

"And?"

"She asked no questions of her Mother if that is what you are asking. Now get out, you have the information you're interested in."

"Yes, My Lord."

Hermione stretched her arms out and quickly stilled before remembering the silencing charm around her bed.

"Do you believe it?"

"Not really, it can't possible be true?"

"She's a muggle born! Her parents are dentors or something like that, right? Besides, why would we just be hearing about this?"

"I don't know, she's certainly smarter than any muggleborn I've ever met."

"Lavender!" the other girls in the room gasped.

"That's not what I meant!" the girl backtracked quickly, "it's just, it doesn't make sense. She's so much better than everyone else and her parents didn't even teach her magic! I came to school knowing a number of spells and it took me forever to master any of them. She walks in here and day one she's doing everything right. It would just make sense, you know? To be You Know Who's Daughter, he may be evil but even Dumbledore has said how smart he was."

"He has?"

"Yes! I know these things, Ronniekins told me _everything_ that the Headmaster used to tell Harry and him." She said. Hermione could almost hear the girl turn her nose up at the end of the sentence, attempting to come across entirely more important than she was.

Hermione picked up her wand and cast a quick tempus – 8:10pm flashed into the air quickly before fading. Blast! She'd slept through dinner. Although, perhaps this was a good thing? If she spent the remainder of the night tucked into her four poster bed maybe she could maintain a sense of normalcy for just a few more hours.

"Of course, if it isn't true, it's awfully odd she wasn't at dinner. Seems like she's known or at least knew before it was published. I'd be hiding to. If those documents are published tomorrow I'm going to go right to the Headmaster and demand she be removed from the dorm! I won't sleep in the same quarters and You Know Who's Bastard, she could murder us in our sleep!" Lavender squealed out the last part causing Hermione to wince. She continued her wince as the room filled with the rest of the seventh year girls agreements. _Maybe I should have said yes to the private rooms, Malfoy be damned._

 _Son,_

 _You have been instructed to see that no harm come to over the remainder of the year. While our Lord knows she is capable, he believes her house will quickly turn against her and lash out in true Gryffindor nature. I should also mention that it would benefit the family greatly should you begin to build a friendship with . Make no mistake, everything published tonight was fact and our Lord will severely punish those who question her legitimacy._

 _~ L. Malfoy_

Draco stared down at the parchment in his hand, contemplating the words scrawled hastily by his father. Keep her safe? Befriend her? Obviously his father had gone completely nutters and did not know Hermione Granger. That girl could look out for herself. Draco huffed and set down the parchment, he had an eerie suspicion that if anything, he was going to be spending his final year of Hogwarts ensuring that the golden girl didn't get herself expelled if someone came after her. She was hell with a wand and had an even meaner right hook.

Hermione stared at her blank journal page. What could she possibly write? _My father is evil. My Headmaster may not be any better. My mother…My mother_ , she thought to herself. Only now did Hermione realize that in all of the commotion she had not stopped to figure out who her mother was, she hadn't even thought to ask. She peered out from behind the curtain of her bed, hearing the quiet snores of the girls in her dormitory. Quietly she shuffled out of bed, grabbing her robe and tossing it over herself before slinking out of her dorm and then out of the common room.

She began her walk to the owlry but then halted after only a few short strides. _No, Hermione, that would be a horrible idea. At least he's the only one who has been honest with you. Or perhaps he's simply been the most stable?_ Regardless of her thoughts, she turned herself around and quickly walked the opposite direction before she could change her mind.

She stalked right up to the door and wrapped her knuckles threes times. Right as her knuckles connected the third time the door wrenched open.

"What, Granger?" Severus Snape said in a low snarl.

"I need to speak to him."

"And you thought you'd simply go for a midnight stroll and use me as your errand boy?" he ground out.

Only now did Hermione take in his slightly rumpled and bleary eyed appearance, or bother to take note of the time.

"I – well you see, sir."

Snape made what one could only comprehend as a growl before pulling his body back from the door and motioning for her to come in. "I'm quite sorry sir. I guess the time got away from me."

"Yes, well, I was expecting this, I only assumed it would be a little earlier in the night."

"I fell asleep."

"Well at least one of us will be rested for class tomorrow." He said as he pushed through another door that Hermione could only assume were his private chambers. She stood there, waiting for a few seconds before she heard his voice echo through the lab, "move Granger, you're wasting my time; I haven't got all night."

She scurried into his room and quickly stepped over the fireplace. "Am I to go through?" she asked hesitantly.

"Obviously."

"On my own?" she said, her voice only now betraying her nervousness, since her bravado of storming down to the dungeons had left her.

"Honestly, Ms. Granger. If he wanted you harmed it would have happened earlier, or have you forgotten that he snatched you right out of Hogwarts without our knowledge just earlier today?"

"Well no, of course not sir."

"Then step into the grate so I can get this over with and move on with my night or get out." He bit out.

"Ye—yes, sir." She said, eyeing the fireplace once more before quickly stepping into it.

Severus grabbed a handful of floo powder and quickly tossed it in with a shout of "Malfoy Manor" echoing behind her and she felt her feet leave the ground.

"Young mistress!" she heard someone squeak out. Hermione coughed slightly but quickly composed herself as she stepped out of the fireplace into a beautiful sitting room.

"It's just Hermione. I'm looking for –"

"I is knowing who you is looking for young miss! Right this way!" the elf squeaked and then scurried towards the exit, snapping her fingers and causing the double doors to open widely.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor, Ms. –" Lucius Malfoy trailed off, "well, I'm quite unsure what to call you actually."

"Ms. Granger will suffice." She said with much more confidence than she actually felt.

"For now, right this way Ms. Granger." He said, making to grab her hand and tuck it into his elbow but Hermione jerked her hand away as if she'd been burned. She made sure to stay a few steps to his left, not wanting the man to think his 'politeness' was actually welcome. _Ugh,_ she thought to herself, _is this what I'll have to put up with if I want to visit him? Will you want to visit him?! Well I do have questions, but…he's Voldemort! He's been trying to kill you for years. Kill me? Not particularly, but kill Harry? Well, yes. Right Hermione, he's only been trying to murder your best friend! Well Dumbledore didn't do much better with me and no one is calling him a mad man!_

Hermione shook her head quickly, trying to clear her mind from yelling at herself. The last thing she needed was people thinking she was going loony.

"Through here. The Dark Lord shall be with you in a few moments."

Hermione stood in the large room, her eyes trained to the snake curled up in the corner by the roaring fireplace. At this point the snake had not moved, but Hermione was not willing to take a chance and kept her wand tightly in her hand.

"She won't harm you."

Hermione visibly flinched at the woman's voice behind her. She turned to face the woman, taking a slight step back and keeping her hardened grip on her already drawn wand.

"Come now little one, lets be nice and get to know one another." Bellatrix said in a light, almost friendly voice, her head tilting to the side making her curls tumble over her shoulder.

Her curls.

He frizzy, never controlled curls.

Hermione froze as she stared at the woman in front of her. This crazed, barely there individual that Hermione had seen torture others. This woman, who had tortured her friends' parents into insanity.

"Are you her?" Hermione choked out.

"What was that love?" Bellatrix said, a smile ghosting across her face.

"Are you her?" Hermione said a little louder.

"Am I who?" the woman said, her grin growing wider.

"My mother. Are you my mother?"

At that Bellatrix jumped into the air unexpectedly and clapped her hands. "Oh goody! I kept hoping this day would come! I've dreamed of it for years, but Our Lord said I mustn't, that I had to wait until the right time. This must be the right time now that you know! I remember you, do you know that? You were so little, so fragile when I held you. I thought I'd drop you, I thought I'd hurt you but she just kept telling me that I would be fine." Bellatrix said stepping forward, the smile she had marring her face into a look of complete insanity. The woman took a step closer and only then did Hermione realize she had backed herself into a wall. The woman reached her hand up and brushed Hermione's hair from her face, "so long…" Bellatrix whispered, "you look just like her."

"Wha—" Hermione started before the booming voice of Voldemort bounced off of the walls.

"Bellatrix! Desist."

At that the woman jerked back and threw herself to the floor. "I'm sorry my Lord! I couldn't help it; I had to see her. I walked by and she was just standing –"

"Silence." He hissed. "Get out, I will deal with you later." The woman picked herself up and scurried quickly from the room, not even risking a glance back and the clearly distressed young girl.

Voldemort sighed heavily and sat in the chair before the fireplace, Nagini quickly curling herself into his lap.

"Please, come and sit Hermione."

She didn't fight the request and simple set herself in the chair, her eyes staring blankly into the fireplace.

"What did she tell you?" he asked gently.

"Enough."

"And?"

"It's hard to digest. She's, well, she's crazy. She's not even stable. I can't believe I'm saying this but who would have guessed that of my two parents, you would be the stable one! You're a mad man!" she cried loudly, clearly unable to maintain her composure any longer.

"To address the least concerning statement, I know that you have been raised to believe I am a madman, and perhaps I am, but do not believe that I am any worse than those you have been serving since coming into the wizarding world, Hermione. You know nothing of your mother, how could you have already come to the conclusion that she was unstable?"

"Haven't you seen her?! I know that Bellatrix may pass as normal amongst your ranks but she is most certainly not a stable individual!"

"She is also not your mother." He said, a look of understanding replacing the previously present confusion.

"Well she… she isn't? Then, I don't understand…what was she talking about? She kept saying she'd been waiting so long, speaking about holding me as a young child."

"She did hold you when you were a child and yes, I have been preventing her from seeking you out for years. She has even disobeyed me on many occasions to seek you out, once even saving your life."

"What?"

"Your fifth year, the Department of Mysteries. Dolohov, unaware of your heritage, shot a very deadly curse at you. Had Bellatrix not deflected it, you would be dead."

"But…I don't understand. If she isn't my mother, than why would she protect me? Why would she have been seeking me out for years?"

"Because she is your sister, Hermione."

 **Author's Note:** Hope you like the slight cliffhanger! I'll have an explanation of parentage next chapter and will spend some time delving into Bellatrix as a character! Hope you enjoyed it!


	3. Chapter 3: Family Ties

_**Note: The timeline of Voldemort and Hermione's mother is most likely slightly off but I tweaked it to make it work! Hope you enjoy it! Also, I realize that Voldemort is somewhat OOC and that will probably continue for a while but it won't stay that way. This chapter turned away from analyzing Bellatrix's character and so I took that part out and decided to put it into the next chapter because I think it's a fairly important piece! Any, hope you enjoy!**_

 **Chapter 3: Family Ties**

"Carina Longbottom was born in 1935 to Callidora (nee Black) and Harfang Longbottom. She was found to be pregnant at 16 and so, in seclusion, gave birth to a little girl. The Blacks do not believe in removing anyone of magical abilities from their bloodlines and so the little girl was given to Cygnus and Druella Black to raise as their own and to preserve Carina's character for marriage."

"And that little girl was Bellatrix?"

"Yes. She was raised with Andromeda and Narcissa as if she was their sister and in all of the ways that matter, she was. Very few people in the pureblood community even know that Bellatrix was not their daughter, but it is clear that she is a Black and so it was never questioned."

"Alright then." Hermione sighed. "So Carina, she's my mother then?"

"Yes." Voldemort responded tightly.

"How did I happen then? It was decades later that I was born."

"I met her at Hogwarts. I had gone to request the Defense Against the Dark Arts position and I quite literally bumped into her."

"Why was she there? She wouldn't have been a student." She said quickly doing the math in her head.

"She was visiting a good friend and was on her way out as I was leaving, having been turned down for the position. I knocked her down and kept going. She shouted after me, very unlady like to shout after a man in those times. Once she realized who I was she simply shook out her robes, said good afternoon politely and then told me I ought to watch where I was going."

Hermione observed Voldemort as he spoke about meeting her mother. He was far away, as if replaying the memory in his head. The look on his face, however skewed his features may have been, was a look Hermione had never expected to see. Fondness. She was unsure if she would use the word love, but there was a clear fondness for the woman he spoke of.

"There were very few people at that point who did not immediately cower and bend to my will. She intrigued me and so I had my followers find out more about her. This, of course, was when I discovered she was related to one of my most devoted families."

"But she was also a Longbottom, surely that meant something."

"Ah, Hermione, naiveté does not suit you. Do not mistake your interaction with the current Longbottom family to define their entire clain. The Longbottoms are part of the sacred 28 and as such hold great value in the pureblood community, in the wizarding community. Augusta Longbottom is now their head of family but at the time, Carina's family was very devoted to my cause. Harfang Longbottom was a proud pureblood; if he were alive today, he would rival Lucius Malfoy when considering pureblood politics."

"And so the story ends where her family handed her over because you decided you'd like to have her and then somewhere down the line I came along; lovely." Hermione spat bitterly, letting her disgust at the pureblood righteousness show through.

"Not quite right, her family did attempt to 'hand her over' as you put it, but the missing piece to your story was the fight she put up. There was no bending your mother's will. Make no mistake Hermione, she was not a dark witch, she was not one of my followers. If your mother were alive today, she would be fighting for her beliefs, she would be ruling beside me. I was not always as ruthless as how others portray me to be, no more than others are when fighting for the cause they believe in."

"I need to leave." She whispered.

"I apologize, you are right. It is very late and I am sure this information is overwhelming to you."

"Yes." She said standing and moving towards the door, "wait, before I leave, can I ask you one more thing?"

"You may always come to me with questions, Hermione."

"How did Bellatrix – well, how did she become so unstable?"

"That is a question you should pose to your Headmaster." And with that Hermione felt her body pushed lightly through the doors, and heard them click shut behind her.

"Young mistress is ready to leave?" the elf said as she popped into existence.

"It's Hermione."

"Of course young mistress Hermione." The elf squeaked, causing Hermione to sigh.

"Yes, I'm ready to leave."

The next morning Hermione woke the buzz of the girls in her dormitory. Bleary eyed she sat up and began preparing for the day. Everything from the night before buzzed in her head, shouting to be worked through and acknowledged. She squinted as one of the girls opened the curtains, the sunlight streaming brightly through the window. None of the girls acknowledged that she existed, going so far as to talk back and forth with one another, simply staring right through her!

She breathed a heavy sigh and set off for the great hall. She knew the day was going to be terrible when the common room went silent as she walked through. She reached the portrait and as she stepped out she felt a light tug at her hand.

"Harry." She breathed out, stress that she did not fully realize she was carrying, lifting from her shoulders.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. When you didn't come to dinner and didn't come to the common room after, I realized that my being dismissive must have hurt. I'm sorry I reacted that way, it was a lot to take in, but after thinking, it must be really difficult for you. How are you holding up?"

She smiled at him before throwing her arms around his neck and letting out a sob.

"That well, huh?" he said sheepishly, rubbing his hand up and down her back in an attempt to help her calm down.

"I just, well –" she trailed off, stepping back and quickly wiping the tears from her face that had overcome her at Harry's confession. "Yeah, it's difficult. There's so much, so much more than just my parentage. I don't even know what's going on Harry; so much has been thrown at me and I don't know whom to trust anymore."

"Well, I'm not sure how much help I'll be sorting it out but, you can trust me Hermione, I'm always here for you, just like you are for me. Come one, let's go in." he said holding out his hand to her as they approached the doors to the great hall.

"Okay." She said, taking in a large breath and letting it out in hopes of relaxing herself. She stepped into the great hall and walked towards the Gryffindor table, Harry leading the way.

"Not a chance Harry! That, that, thing, isn't sitting at our table. She doesn't belong here." Ron said standing up and using his body to block their normal seats.

"I'd like know more about why you made the decision to bind my powers." Hermione said, head held high in an attempt to show she would not be intimidated.

"That is not why we are here ." Dumbledore said, his hands folded, perched on his desk.

"That does not change that I would like answers. The other day you simply dismissed my feelings, dismissed the role you played, that you chose to play, in attempting to devastate my life."

"Binding your magic would not have devastated your life, simply changed it."

"My magic is my life Headmaster, I'd have thought that you of all people recognized that. I cannot imagine my life without magic."

"Precisely why I binded it. I could not have Tom's child repeat his mistakes, to crave power the same way he did."

"And what of Carina's child? Did you give no thought to her? From what little I've pulled up from her time at Hogwarts she was a shining example, a perfect Gryffindor, regardless of who her family was."

"Ah, I see he told you of your mother then."

"Yes, he did. However, I'm still unsure why you never told me."

"Carina was a wonderful student, very intelligent, a leader in her house."

"So as a small child you simply assumed I would be like him?"

"As a child you were already very much like him, Hermione. Once Tom had been destroyed I looked into the rumors before making a choice. You had begun showing signs of accidental magic when you were only hours old, by the time I met you, you had a control over your childhood magic that most children never even reach before they begin Hogwarts. You were too great a risk."

"And now? Am I too great of a risk now? Why not just kill me? Why not bind me a second time before I received my Hogwarts letter? Why let me in the building near your precious Harry Potter if you assumed I would be dangerous? How dangerous have I been when I've been saving him year after year?" Hermione shouted the last part, slamming her hands down on the table, her hair crackling with her magic.

"I did." The man stated simply.

Hermione's body stiffened. "Did what, precisely?"

"Attempt to rebind your magic. Your name reappeared on the Hogwarts roster only a few years after we had placed you with your parents. I went to the home and rebound your magic. The same thing happened around the age of nine, however it went unnoticed and, here you are."

"How could you?" The girl said, not comprehending how her Headmaster, a man she had looked up to her entire time at Hogwarts, could be saying the things he was to her.

"I was doing it for the safety of the wizarding world, Hermione. It was a choice I made."

"It was not your choice to make! What if my parents had been cruel? What if they had shunned me for my magic, what if they had beaten me because they thought I was the devil? You knew that you were putting me at risk! You knew you were taking away everything from me."

"But they did not. You arrived at Hogwarts a well round, respectable young lady who has grown into a lovely young woman, should you choose to stay this way. It was for the greater good."

"It wasn't your choice to make Dumbledore. And should I choose to stay this way? So now, because I have not developed into an evil, power hungry child, you believe I have a choice? Where was that belief years ago when you were binding my magic repeatedly?" She spat.

"I will not continue to repeat myself Hermione, I made a choice for the light."

"Making choices you aren't qualified to make. Stealing children from their families, raising them in your image to become your well trained little soldier. You are no better than Voldemort." She hissed before turning on her heel and storming from the room, her magic crackling behind her.

"She is too powerful now that the tracker has fallen away." Dumbledore said, his hands cradling his head as he leaned on the desk before him.

"She has always been a powerful witch, Albus. We've known that, nothing has changed."

"Everything has changed, Minerva. The girl is angry! She is on edge, confused and angry with us for keeping everything from her."

"Do not pull me into this Albus. I was very clear where I stood on your decision. I told you, excuse me, begged you, to simply allow me to raise her. Instead you made us place her with muggles. I told you when she arrived that, after her first year and what transpired, that we should tell her then. I said the same things during her fourth year and you refused. I will not take part of the blame, this is solely on you."

"You know why I made the choice."

"And I know it was wrong. If this falls apart, if Hermione abandons Harry, abandons us, the fault will lie with you."

"She is so much like him."

"To a point but she is very much like Carina."

"You are blinded by your friendship, Minerva. Carina was not all good."

"None of us are Albus." The witch said. Before taking her leave she turned back around, "if you let today go unpunished you will push her away from us. Ronald Weasley needs to be addressed." And with that she left.

Dumbledore sighed, unsure how to address the youngest Weasley boy and his meeting with had already gone terribly. The fight in the great hall had left many terrified of the girl, her dorm mates already requesting that she be moved because they "feared for their safety". He stood and stepped over to his pensieve, pulling out his memory from the great hall earlier this morning so he could take his time to digest what transpired.

" _Not a chance Harry! That, that, thing, isn't sitting at our table. She doesn't belong here."_

" _Stop Ron," Harry responded, "I've talked through everything with Hermione."_

" _Nice for you! I don't want this traitor sitting at our table! She's no Gryffindor!"_

" _Stop it, Ronald. I know it's confusing, it's confusing for me too, but let's just go outside and talk it through." Hermione responded, clearly trying to keep her calm._

" _I wasn't talk to you, you filthy whore."_

" _Ronald, just stop -"_

 _This is where the entire memory had to be slowed down. Ron Weasley pulled his wand up and aimed it at Hermione, who simply tightened her grip on her wand but did not draw._

" _Knock it off Ron!" Harry shouted, pulling his wand up and pointing it at Ron._

" _You're going to protect her?! Her father wants you dead! Her father murdered your parents! She's - she's his daughter, Harry!"_

 _That was when Ron cast the spell. Harry was stunned and as Dumbledore slowed down the memory it was clear that there was no way Harry would have cast quick enough to protect himself. He focused on Hermione, her hand only giving a slight flick as a protego shield appeared so quickly and so forcefully that it tossed Ron roughly fifty feet across the great hall, landing and sliding down the Hufflepuff table._

 _The great hall was silent, all staring, some intrigued, some terrified, others simply shocked, as Hermione Granger stood with the hue of the spell emanating from her skin, no one having heard her cast the spell and the pendant that had been tucked into her pocket floating in front of her face._

" _Ugh -" Ron groaned from across the hall, effectively breaking the silence._

 _Some students jumped up and scurried from the hall, others continued to stay seated._

 _Ron Weasley stood up from the table, face bright red and clearly raised his wand but an "Expelliarmus" was heard through the silent room. Everyone turned to follow the wand as it landed in the outstretched hand of Draco Malfoy._

" _Enough Weasley."_

" _I told you, Harry! She's just another death eater whore now." And with that he stormed from the great hall._

Dumbledore sighed as he pulled his head from the pensieve. It was quite obvious that Ron Weasley had been the only aggressor in this fight. At this point he was not even sure if the girl had cast the protego or if it had been the pendant, tucked into her pocket until the spell was cast towards her. _But what to do with Ron? The boy was simply troubled, hurt and confused with the new change. He had clearly cared for the girl before and this must have been upsetting to him. He needed to speak with Ron, they could not afford him pushing Hermione closer to Tom._ If nothing else he needed to wrangle the boy in when considering that.

"He did nothing."

"At all?" Harry asking, shaking his head slightly in disbelief.

"He pulled Ron in for a chat and then just let him go. No detention, no punishment at all! He attacked us! That's grounds for expulsion!"

"We don't want him expelled though, Hermione."

"I know that!" She said deflating a little, "but do I really mean that little to Dumbledore now? All because of something that he already knew?! Ron attacked me, verbally and physically, and Dumbledore didn't even make a move to stop it, Harry. He just sat there and watched, and then let Ron walk out of the great hall without so much as a comment to him."

 _Son,_

 _Out Lord is pleased that you stepped forward with what transpired this morning. He is, obviously, displeased that there is no repercussions for the Weasley brat. He asks that you stick close to Hermione over the next few weeks to ensure that Weasley is keeping his distance._

 _~ L. Malfoy_

Draco folded the letter back up, his fingers tracing over his family seal. He wasn't sure what possessed him to disarm Weasley this morning. It was clear that Hermione was handling it, or perhaps her family pendant handled it, he was still unsure. What he did know what that Weasley was a complete idiot and that Potter had surprised him this morning. He knew Gryffindors were supposed to be loyal, but he had expected that Potter's loyalty would lie with Weasley. He stared down once more at the crest beneath his fingers before tossing the letter into the fire.

"Can you believe it?"

"What?" Draco asked Pansy.

"That the mudblood is His daughter!"

"Don't call her that." Draco said quickly.

"You honestly believe it?!"

"Don't you read Parkinson? Everything was published this morning, her inheritance went through from the Gaunts and her family tree was published. She's his and now, she's ours. Get yourself together before you introduce yourself."

"Granger." Draco said quietly as he approached her table in the library. She was, surprisingly, sitting alone, Potter having left her side for the first time over the last three days.

"Malfoy."

"I just wanted to let you know that, should you need anything, even a friendly ear, I'm here."

"Right."

"I'm serious Granger."

"Malfoy." She sighed, " you haven't had a friendly year the entire time we've been going to school, so please don't pretend like we're friends. I appreciate that you're trying to make it known you support my being who I am, but quite frankly I do not need or want your support."

He stood there, mouth opening and then closing, completely at a loss for words. "Well then, I'll just be going I guess."

"Have a good day."

"Yeah," he stuttered slightly, "you too."

She knocked on the door to the potions classroom before pushing it open slightly.

"Professor?" she called.

"What, Ms. Granger?"

"I was hoping you had a few moments?"

"Not particularly but I imagine my answer doesn't matter much. Sit." He said, indicating to the chair across his desk. She sat down and stared at the papers strewn across his desk, thinking to herself how odd, since he was one of her most organized Professors.

"Get on with it Granger."

"Well – Well," she started over again, "I was hoping you could speak to me about my Mother."

"What of her?"

"Who she was, what she was like, you know, about her."

"I'm unable to do that Granger, I did not know her well, in fact I only saw her a few times before the Dark Lord was gone."

"Oh." She said, her hands dropping slightly in disappointment. "Thank you then, Professor."

"Granger?"

"Yes?"

"Perhaps try speaking to Professor McGonagall."

"Did she teach her when she was at Hogwarts?" Hermione said perking up slightly, not stopping to consider her mothers age.

"Quite the contrary, Minerva and Carina Longbottom were best friends during and after their time in Hogwarts, some would even have considered them family from what I have been told."

Hermione stood there for a moment before saying her goodnight and heading quickly from the dungeons.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I am picking this story back up. I'm loading a new version of Chapter 4 that is edited so that everything makes sense. When I had previously put it up a whole chunk was missing! I'm hoping to make updates twice a week but it may be more like once a week with balancing, work grad school and my twins! For background Minerva and Carina were born in 1935 so the timeline should fit well here but may be just slightly skewed (not much though) in order for the story to work).

*Break*

Hermione stood at her Professors door, wondering if she should knock or just leave and come back another day.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Asked Professor McGonagall as she rounded the corner. Hermione jerked in surprise, having thought her Professor was tucked into her classroom.

"Oh, um, yes Professor. I was wondering if you had a few moments to speak. If not, I can come back at another time, perhaps over the weekend." Hermione answered, rambling on, suddenly feeling awkward.

"Of course I do." She responded, opening the door and allowing Hermione to step through. "Would you like some tea?"

"No thank you, Professor." Hermione said, seating herself in the chair closest to the door.

"How can I help you my dear?"

"Well, I've been told that you and my mother were quite close. I was wondering if you could tell me about her. Anything really, I'd…" she trailed off, "I guess I'd just like to hear someone talk about her, rather than only reading blips about her time at Hogwarts."

McGonagall smiled, "Of course. I loved your mother dearly; she was like my sister. What do you know about her so far?"

"Just what I said when speaking to Dumbledore earlier, she was clearly intelligent, top of her class, leader in the school, etc. But I want to know about her, who she was, what she wanted and…well, how she ended with him." She said, stressing the last word and looking at her Professor expectantly.

"Well, to start, I met your mother on my very first day of Hogwarts. We rode on the train in the same compartment and didn't speak a word to one another. She was very quiet, nose tucked into a book and focused the entire ride. I had no idea what I was doing and it was quite obvious to her! She never did let me live that down" McGonagall smiled, her eyes flashing with a fond memory.

*Flashback*

"Muggleborn?" The girl in front of her asked.

"Um, sort of."

"Well, sort, best get your uniform on now or else you'll look silly when we walk into the Great Hall for sorting."

"Oh. Alright, then."

The girls buttoned up their robes quickly and began packing up their belongings they'd had throughout the compartment.

"I'm Carina, Carina Longbottom – it is nice to make your acquaintance."

"I'm Minnie!" She said beaming at the prospect of making a new friend.

"What an odd name."

"Well, my name is Minerva, but my friends call me Minnie."

The girl quirked her lip in a smile. "Hufflepuff."

"What?"

"Hufflepuff, you're definitely going to get sorted into Hufflepuff."

"I'm hoping for Ravenclaw."

"As am I, but I'll most likely be placed in Slytherin."

"How come?"

"Tradition." Was all she said,

*Break*

The girls tucked into the boat, Carina smiling at the castle that was before her. "I've waited for this for years." She breather out to no one in particular.

"I just found out a couple of weeks ago."

"What did you mean, back on the train, when you said you were sort of a Muggleborn?"

"Well, my mother was a witch but she died when I was very young and my father didn't know."

"So you didn't know you were a witch?"

Minerva simply shook her head and turned away from the other girl. Carina stared at her, interest piqued in the sudden shift in the other girls mood at the question. Her inquiry would have to wait until later because the boats began to dock.

*End Flashback*

"We were both sorted into Gryffindor that night. Your mother, she was surprised, but she had this terrifying grin on her face as she walked to the table — head high, as if daring someone to say something to her."

"So she wasn't sad?"

"Quite the contrary!' McGonagall laughed. "Your mother pranced around for weeks, even after the howlers! She was always her own woman Hermione and an incredibly powerful one at that."

"Did you all just develop a friendship then, since you were in the same house?"

"We were inseparable. Although your mother teased me until the day she was gone that the hat made a mistake and that I belonged in Hufflepuff." The older woman said, with a gentle smile on her face.

"Did you know about Bellatrix?" This question brought a shadow over McGonagall's face.

"What do you mean?" She all but whispered.

"When she was pregnant."

"Yes, Is as the one who ran the diagnostic spell to check and I held her as she cried."

"What happened?"

"She hid the pregnancy with spells and then was removed from school for a 'family emergency' a month before the end of term."

"Oh. Did she want her?"

"To a point but she also did not want her life ruined. She knew she would not spend forever with the boy and she didn't want to ruin anything for his inheritance. She ended things with him and waited for her daughter to be born. She didn't have much of a choice if she wanted to finish her education, her parents never would have let her keep Bellatrix, regardless of her wants."

"Yet she never married later in life? Wasn't that the point of them making her give up Bellatrix?"

"Your father prevented that. She was set to marry a month after he met her."

"He stopped it that quickly?"

"He simply inquired into the rush to marry her off."

"How long were they together, before he was gone?"

"Decades. We were quite young when they met. I was an Assistant Professor, training for the position I have now. It took him more than a year before your Mother acknowledged any proposal from him. When she died they had been together for just over 25 years."

"That's…wow. I'm not even sure what to say."

"What, what happened to her? I couldn't find it anywhere."

Minerva sighed and sipped her tea before answering.

"She was killed during a raid, accidentally. It was, in my opinion, the defining moment to how we know wizarding history."

"What do you mean?"

"Your mother was killed in September of 1981, Hermione."

"But, I thought she was alive when he disappeared?"

"Not at all. He, Voldemort, unraveled quickly once your Mother was gone. He lashed out at everyone and where your Mother had been striving to recreate the wizarding world with him, he chose to unravel it all and build it anew. Complete domination using whatever means necessary. That was where most of his pure blood ideology came from, only pushing the agenda because it funneled money into his cause. She was his balance and he lost it."

"How exactly did she die though? Why was there a raid if he hadn't unraveled yet?"

"It was a power move made by a very small group of people who believed your father rising to power was too dangerous. They came after your father at Malfoy Manor and sent a small team to delay your mother in London. When the group apparated into the restaurant we were at your Mother jumped up, quickly stunning two and making her was to the door. She was running, trying to move outside of the anti-apparition wards they'd put up and a car hit her when she darted into the street to get away. I couldn't save her, she was gone by the time I got to her."

"I..that's terribly sad." Both women sat there for a few moments before McGonagall spoke again. "It was clear he felt your mother die. He killed almost all of the raid party that arrived at Malfoy Manor."

"And he just went crazy after that?"

"To a point. He began organized attacks on the opposing group, where he previously was ignoring them. This was also the period he began allowing his followers to partake in revels, using muggles for whatever they pleased."

"Then what tipped him over the edge?" Hermione asked, pushing McGonagall to answer, even though it was clear she did not want to.

"It was…" but no sound fell from her lips. The older witch slammed her hands down in anger. "I am not at liberty to say, Hermione. I'm sorry."

"Wha— are you oath bound?"

"Yes." She replied, her lips thin with obvious anger.

"But why? No, who?"

"The only person who will be able to openly discuss it is the Headmaster."

*Break*

Hermione sat, knees tucked under her chin, staring out of the astronomy towe window. She wasn't sure what to think of her conversation with Professor McGonagall but she knew she was angry. She had barely been able to contain her rage earlier in the night, banging on Heather Headmasters office door. According to Professor Snape, who had had found her screaming at the gargoyle to let her in, the Headmaster was out for the evening but would be back tomorrow. She had wanted to avoid anyone in the common room and that had led her here. She heard the door creak and she perked her head up, rolling her wand from her sleeve so she could access it easily.

"Stand down, Granger, it's Malfoy."

"Not sure that's a good enough reason to stand down." She quipped.

"It's not as if I would hurt you."

"No, I guess you wouldn't anymore." She said, but her body clearly showed she had not relaxed.

"The Headmaster asked me to find you hours ago and I couldn't locate you. I was just finishing up my rounds and wanted to stargaze before heading to bed."

"What did he want? He must have asked you before he left this evening."

"For me to relay the message that we're to have a meeting with him first thing in the morning, following breakfast."

"But our classes!"

"It's the Headmaster, I'm sure we'll be excused."

"That's not the point. We have N.E.W.T.S at the end of the year and I don't appreciate being pulled from my class. He expects me to be available on his time but doesn't have the decency to be available when I need to have a conversation."

"Jeez Granger, here I thought you were his golden girl."

"Things change." Was her prompt reply to his statement, which Draco filed away in the back of his mind to mull over later.

"Well then, have a good night. I'll see you in the morning at the meeting."

"Wait, here, the bench is all yours. I'm heading back to the common room anyway, most students should be asleep."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry you're going through all of this with your housemates."

She just stared at him, attempting to decipher if his words were sincere or simply a ploy to get her to trust him; perhaps they were both. She didn't say a word and instead turned, heading down the stairs and towards Gryffindor tower.

*Break*

"Good morning! Lemon drop?"

"No. What did we need to discuss?" Hermione asked, Malfoy sitting in the seat next to her.

"Please, sit ." Hermione sighed but complied. "Good news! For this year we are opening up our first ever Head Boy and Girl living quarters. You will share a common room but each have your own space with a little office off of your bedrooms. Your things are being moved as we speak. We made sure to pick a neutral location, so your quarters will be tucked just off the second floor by the Arithmancy classroom the portrait of Sir Cedrick Daedalus and your password is unity."

"How touching." Hermione all but snarled. "Glad to know my dorm mates have gotten what they wanted."

"That is certainly not the case."

"Right. Well, you'll have to excuse me, Headmaster," she leered out the name, "but I just can't believe your utter tripe anymore." And with that she stormed from the office.

Draco sat there for a few seconds, eyes widened slightly and completely unaware of how to respond.

"right then, if that's all, I'll just be going." Draco said, hurrying from the office. He turned to head towards the Runes classroom but heard what sounded like someone sobbing. Against his better judgement he headed towards the noise instead.

He found her, tucked into an alcove, in what he immediately recognized as a panic attack. The girl was hyperventilating, her fingers pulling slightly at her throat as she tried to calm down, her magic everywhere it was almost suffocating. He'd never experienced someone's raw energy like he was right now. It was almost as if he was swimming through thickened water as he tried to reach her; her body's way of trying to protect itself during her time of increased stress.

"Breath, Granger. Look at me." He said calmly.

Her eyes darted all over the small space, connecting with his for only a second before quickly moving away. He grabbed her hands and secured them in his grip so she didn't scratch herself too badly, this seemed to pull her attention to him for a few seconds. He reached out with his other hand and gently turned her chin towards him, so her eyes had to focus on him.

"Breath. There you go. Focus on my face, focus on my voice and just breath."

He sat with her for what seemed like ages before she was calm enough that he felt as if he could let go of her hands without her hurting herself.

"I'm going to let you go completely now, alright? Just keep breathing, in and out just like you're doing now."

He let go and rocked back on his heels, letting himself slide the rest of the way to the floor and kept himself close to her Incase she began to panic again. It seemed, however, that she was beginning to focus herself more; her magic had begun to recede and he realized his muscles had been tense from the energy. They sat there; not exchanging looks or words, until they heard the bustle of student movement began. Her eyes widened quickly but he was quick with his wand and cast two spells under his breath that she couldn't hear.

"Silencing and notice me not; no one will realize we're tucked into here. You're safe, Granger. Are you alright?" He asked, not expecting an answer from the girl who continued to be silent towards him.

She simply nodded her head in response to his question.

Well, he thought, at least it's a start.

*Break*

"She wants to know more about her mother and is quickly growing angry with Dumbledore, My Lord."

"How do you know this?"

"She sought me out the night after you spoke with her to find more information on her mother."

"And?"

"I directed her to Minerva, just as you'd told me to. I do know they talked and that something was clearly said that started the girl on answers from Dumbledore."

"Did she find out about Bellatrix?"

"I do not believe so, I expect that she will soon find out given her reaction after the conversation with Minerva. I am hoping that I have instilled some trust in her that she will seek discussion with me when she learns of it."

"See that she finds out before the weeks closes. What else?"

"Draco seems to be slowly reaching out to her."

"Ah, tell me more."

"They had a meeting with the Headmaster, to remove them from their current houses and allow them to share quarters as Head Boy and Girl. It was pitched to them as an approach to inter house unity, but Hermione saw right through that. Following the meeting she had a magical outburst, although I'm not sure she realizes that's what it was. Draco came down right after her, heard the girl and went to help. They spent almost two hours hidden in the alcove. I could not see what was going on once Draco put up the spells but it was obvious they were there longer than needed to calm Hermione down."

"Interesting. I did not anticipate she would be open to Draco this early."

"Open to him, My Lord?"

"I hope that she may find comfort in him and possibly develop feelings for him. That will help when the time comes for her to choose where she stands."

"Yes, My Lord."

"And that old fool, he has fallen right into that trap. Removing her from her friends and placing her in seclusion with our young Malfoy."

"He has, My Lord. I will make sure to encourage the time they spend together as well."

"Perfect. Make sure the girl trusts you, Severus. I don't care how you do it but I need her to trust you, even about her feelings on sides."

"I will, My Lord." He said and then turned from the room and headed back to Hogwarts.

*Break*

"You must figure out how to tell her, Dumbledore."

"Not yet, Severus. We need to figure out how to tell her without it backfiring."

"It is going to backfire if she hears it from anyone other than you or Minerva and she can't tell her without you lifting the oath. She already doesn't trust you, tell her!"

"How do I explain that?"

You tell her and be honest. She is going to hate you but at least you'll have been honest with her and it will be controlled."

"I'm just not sure how to do it, Severus."

"It's time to live with the choice you made, Albus." Minerva snapped from her seat. "Severus, is right, she needs to hear it from us or else she will lose even more trust. There's no good way to tell her that you ordered it."

"It was war!"

"And a young child only trying to protect her sister was the target."

"It was not supposed to end the way it did."

"You knew exactly what they were going to do to her, that's why you sent the Prewett twins. Don't coat the story when you tell her Dumbledore or else it will be even worse than if someone else had told her."

"How do I explain?" He said quietly. Severus looked at the older man sitting at his desk, thinking just how old he looked now compared to just the year before.

"You ordered her sister be tortured for information and you allowed them to do it until she is certifiably insane. There is no good way to spin it. She was a young woman who had done nothing wrong, you were wrong and everyone else has had to live with your mistake; now it's time you. Did as well." She snapped before standing and leaving the office.

*Break*

"So how are you doing, with all of the information I mean?"

"I'm not sure. I have a lot of questions swimming in my head and I just can't process all of them."

"I can't imagine and it doesn't seem like your house mates are helping the transition."

"It's odd, it's showing me many of them in a different light. It's not as though I've changed."

He nodded his head acknowledging her. "Has this happened a lot?"

"Has what happened?"

"Your magical outbursts?"

"I don't know what you mean. You mean my panic attack?"

"If that's what you call it but it's a magical outburst. It tends to happen to children, when they're angry or overwhelmed, sad." He said trailing off.

"Oh, I didn't realize that's what that was. How can I stop it?"

"You don't, you learn to harness it like you have with your normal magic. It is odd that you're having that problem, the tracer hinders you some but not usually to this level."

"Well that's from the remainder of Dumbledore's binding spell."

"His WHAT?!" Draco said, a shocked expression lighting his face.

"Dumbledore placed multiple binding spells on me when I was younger. Professor Snape said that those spells never completely fall off until you come of age."

"That's…that's horrible. Those spells can strip someone of their magic if they aren't done correctly or left too long."

"Yes well, that was his point. He wanted me to be raised a muggle."

"I'm so sorry Hermione. No one deserves that, I'm not sure what he was thinking."

"It was for the 'greater good' according to him."

Draco snorted, "yeah, according to my father that's how Dumbledore covers up all of his heinous crimes."

"Like what?"

Draco's face dropped, a somber expression marring his face. "Dumbledore has done horrible things Hermione."

"Yes, but like what?"

"You've met my crazy Aunt, Bellatrix?

"Yes."

"She wasn't always like that according to my Mother."

"Yes, Voldemort," Hermione said, noticing Draco's slight twitch at the name, "told me I should ask Dumbledore about that. I meant to ask today and I just got so angry."

"Dumbledore ordered it. The group Dumbledore was running ordered her to be tortured for information."

"But why?"

"I don't know. I just know that they thought she would have information on something they wanted and so they sent the Prewett twins —"

"Molly Weasley's brothers?"

"Yes. Don't act so surprised Hermione, those men may have been painted as good men but they tortured her and left her for dead. My mother spent weeks nursing her back to health. Those men, they used every type of curse, raped her and caused her to lose her unborn child. It was horrible; my mother won't even talk about it anymore."

Hermione sat there in silence for a few moments. "I hate him."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I have a rough outline of how to story is going to go at this point that will actually appease both the Draco AND Snape lovers (no they will not all be together) so just stick with me! Also a note on Hermione's age that was pointed out to me – I missed that she would have turned 17 in 6th year and note 7th so, for the sake of the story I am going to move her birthday a year, where should would have entered Hogwarts at 10 and immediately turned 11 — this doesn't fit with canon but it's a fanfic and I'll address the reason for her starting early!

—

Chapter 5

"Where were you last night?" Harry asked as he sat down next to Hermione, attempting to ignore the daggers many members of their house were throwing at Hermione, who was seated at the furthest end of the Gryffindor table.

"Getting acquainted with my new rooms. Dumbledore decided I was too dangerous to leave with the general population."

"Hermione! Stop that, Dumbledore wouldn't do something like that. I'm sure he's just trying to help you adjust without everyone in your business."

"Sure Harry." Hermione said. She tossed her half eaten piece of toast onto the table and stood to leave. "Well, I'm off to double potions. See you later."

"Bye, 'Mione."

*Break*

"Today we will be beginning the brewing process for poly juice potion. Some of you," Snape said turning his eyes on Hermione, "may be familiar with this potion. It takes a month to brew and has expensive ingredients so you'll be working in pairs." With that he flicked his wrist and the student pairs stretched down the board. Hermione stared, noting she was paired with Draco Malfoy.

"You grab the cauldron and get it set up, I'll grab the ingredients." Hermione said, moving towards the potions closet.

"Don't you need the text, Granger?"

"No, she's quite familiar with this potion Mr. Malfoy. I'd quite suggest that you choose the final product for the potion though, didn't quite get that part correct." Snape said, a slight sneer on his face.

Hermione blushed slightly and scurried over to the closet. Once she was back she began grinding the Bicorn horn.

"Here, put the gloves on and start shredding the boomlsang skin."

"So bossy, Granger."

"Look, I just want to get this done so I can head back to my room."

"Have somewhere to be?"

"I'm undecided, but I know I don't want to be here."

"Rough go of it this morning?"

"Yes." She said with a frustrated sigh. "I don't care about the name calling but this morning a second year attempted to send a bat bogey curse at me! It backfired and now she's in the hospital wing, which of course everyone is saying I made it backfire to hurt her."

"Wow, I'm sorry Granger. Serves the little bitch right."

"Malfoy! It is uncalled for to use such foul language, and about a younger student no less."

"Seriously? She tried to curse you Granger!"

"Doesn't matter. She's only mimicking what she hears the older students saying. Besides, you're head boy and you're supposed to be setting an example."

"Whatever Granger, she's still a little bitch."

"Just shut up, Malfoy."

*Break*

"Hermione!" Harry shouted, almost out of breath as he jogged to catch up to her.

"Oh, hello Harry. How was herbology?"

"It was alright, Neville is a right genius in that class! I don't think I'd be doing nearly as well if it weren't for him being in the class with me. Shame you aren't actually in the class with us."

"Yes, well, Professor Sprout was nice enough to let me do it as an independent study. I didn't want to choose between Arithmancy and Herbology but I just can't do Arithmancy without the instruction!"

"Yeah, uh huh."

"You've stopped listening, haven't you?"

"Yeah, sorry Hermione." Harry responded sheepishly.

"Well," she sighed, "what is it you were running so hard to catch up to me for?"

"Wanted to see if you were going to come down to practice?"

"No Harry, I don't think that's a smart idea."

"Come on, 'Mione! Ron will come around, he just needs to see you more is all."

"Look Harry, I love you but I do not forgive Ron. I'm, I'm not even sure I can forgive Ron. He tried to attack me, Harry."

"You know how he is though, he didn't mean it."

"Honestly, Harry! I'll see you at dinner." She said and stormed away from him, the ends of her hair shooting sparks.

 _Calm down, Hermione. Stop it! You're getting all worked up for nothing. Ron isn't important and Harry is only defending him because he doesn't like being caught in the middle. You're alright. Breath in, breath out. There we go. Just like Malfoy taught me._

Hermione breathed in and out slowly, trying to focus her energy back into her body.

"Alright there Granger?"

"Jeez Malfoy! You gave me a right scare."

"Sorry!" He said holding his hands up. "Was only trying to see if you were alright. I couldn't help but hear Potter being an complete dunderhead."

"I'm fine, was just breathing like you'd shown me."

"Seems to have worked, you haven't blown anyone up."

"Or thrown them across the great hall." She said, a slight smile playing at her lips.

"Well, you didn't do that."

"I didn't?"

"No, of course not. Hasn't anyone told you anything?"

"Well, no. It's not like I have friends lining up to help me navigate this odd experience."

"Yes well, I'd have thought you would have read all about it at this point."

"I tried, the library is severely lacking in books on "your father is a mass murdered and you didn't know it'."

"Funny Granger. Never pegged you as one to have such a sarcastic sense of humour."

"Well now you know."

"Yes, I do." He said, giving her one of the first genuine smiles she had ever seen on him. "I'll write to father, see if he can't send over a few of our family tomes. But getting back to what I was saying, no, the pendant is what tossed him that far. You most likely thought of the spell but didn't react, so the pendant acted as a magical conductor, sending out the spell you'd said in your mind."

"So the pendant allows me to do nonverbal magic? And it acts as a wand?"

"Yes and no. The pendant is meant to protect you, so it's only going to work if you're in danger. It does allow you to cast nonverbally so you should make sure to always have it pinned." He said, moving his school robes aside slightly at the neck to show a small dragon pendant."

"That's an interesting bit of magic I would love to explore more."

"It's blood magic. Stop, no need to give me that look. Not all blood magic is bad. Blood magic has been used for hundreds of years in the wizarding community."

"Yes but isn't it frowned upon to partake in magic like that?"

"That depends on the company you keep. Sure, there are a number of wizards that believe blood magic shouldn't be allowed but really, it's all about the intent on has. Many purebloods still take part in blood magic during wedding ceremonies."

"Why?"

"Protection, a deeper connection, increased fertility, the list goes on really."

"Interesting."

"Well I'm heading to do my rounds. I'll see you later Granger."

"Bye Malfoy."

"Getting real chummy with the snakes already I see." Ron spat towards her.

"Stop it Ronald. I'm not in the mood to deal with your childish behavior."

"Don't you tell me what to do, death eater whore."

"The least you could do is be original Mr. Weasley. Thirty points from Gryffindor." Snape drawled at him.

"You would stick up for her, death eater scum."

"And a week of detention with Filch. The third floor bathrooms have been particularly disgusting lately. Something only a good, magic free, cleaning will help. Run along now Weasley."

Ron huffed and stormed off, stomping his feet as he went and muttering under his breath.

"I was fine." Hermione snapped.

"Careful or you'll find yourself losing points."

"Sorry Professor. I'm just angry and I'm having such a hard time dealing with my emotions."

"That is because you are not regulating your magic; you are not used to this much power due to the bonds."

"Yes, I know you're right."

"Would you like help?"

"If you have the time?" She said.

"Of course. The last thing Hogwarts needs is you blowing things up or throwing people into walls when you're angry."

"Draco said that was the pendant!" She said, defending the instance in the great hall.

"Draco now, is it?" Snape said with an ever so slight quirk to his lips.

"Oh, well….he's been helping. He showed me how to calm myself down to avoid magical outbursts and his father is sending me books on what it means to have an inheritance."

"It is good for you to find comfort in those individuals. Many view Gryffindor as the house of loyalty, but it says nothing of where their loyalty lies. It would be difficult to find a Slytherin who would not sacrifice themselves to protect their family."

"But I'm not family."

"There is quite a lot that you do not know yet, . The Malfoy's were not just your fathers followers, they were your parents close friends and your godparents."

"They were?"

"Yes. They spent many years looking for you after…" Snape gritted his teeth, his head pounding.

"You're oath bound as well, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Bloody Dumbledore." She said as she spun on her heel and stormed away.

*Break*

"Let me in." Hermione snarled at the gargoyle. She had tried the password multiple times, and then tried others and yet the gargoyle still refused to let her in. Hermione let out a strangled yell in frustration and before she knew it she was tossed backwards, debris scraping her skin and tiny pebbles raining down into her still crackling hair. "Well shit, never would have thought goody two shoes Granger would start destroy school property." Pansy Parkinson giggled.

"I didn't do it on purpose."

"I know, I was watching you the entire time. You're like a toddler learning their magic, quite amusing really. It's about time something knocked you from that pedestal you've been on for years."

"Well at least I know not all of the Slytherins have gone crazy trying to be my friend." Hermione huffed, running her hands down he legs to knock the dust from it. She looked at the gargoyle, or well the gargoyle had been.

"Yes, my housemates seem to think you're their long lost princess. You won't get any special treatment from me, Granger. I still think you're a know it all teacher's pet and I want nothing to do with you. I won't be mean to you, because I value my family's standing, but I wont worship you either."

"Good."

"Good." Pansy snapped back, head held a little higher as she started walking away.

"Reparo." Hermione said, flicking her wand. The rumble moved back into place but the gargoyle no longer emitted it's magical signature. Hermione stood, staring at the stone for a few moments before reaching into her pocket. She turned the pendant over in her hands a few times, gauging if the pendant could even help. Draco had said it only helped protect, but that didn't change that it was a magical conductor. Perhaps….so she grasped the pendant in her left hand, her thumb running over the branches, and focused her magic through the pendant and then through her wand. "Reparo", she all but whispered.

The gargoyle gave a faint glow, the light cracks that had still been present knitting themselves together. It stretched it's jaw and gazed straight ahead, it's signature back to what it had been only minutes before. "Now let me in." Hermione said, a smile of satisfaction on her lips from fixing the structure.

The door moved revealing the spiral staircase behind it. "Thank you." Hermione said quickly, before she bound up the stairs. Now she was going to get answers.

*Break*

"She is quite strong."

"Naturally, her mother was an incredible witch and then of course there's my power."

"Yes, My Lord. I did discover that she had a very unique ability though, My Lord. During another magical outburst she destroyed the gargoyle outside of Dumbledore's office."

"Interesting. Students should not be able to destroy pieces of the castle, on purpose or accidentally."

"That was not the most interesting piece; she fixed it."

"How?" Voldemort asked, leaning forward in his chair, interest clearly piqued.

"She seemed to use the pendant to funnel her magic through and then into her wand. It was certainly a sight to watch and clear that she was unsure if it would work."

"Brilliant." Voldemort breathed. "See if she can change other things in the castle, Severus. It has only been documented to happen twice in the history of Hogwarts, once with Rowena's descendant and once with Salazar's but these were both centuries ago."

"I will see if I can have her replicate the action, My Lord. She will be meeting with me tomorrow to practice controlling her outbursts."

"Good, good, Severus. It seems you are off to a good start in gaining her trust. We need her to have full control of her magic as quickly as possible. It is quite dangerous for her to have outbursts. Do you believe any of the damage from binding to be permanent?"

"No, My Lord. We have checked her many times over her time at Hogwarts and while it hampered her abilities previously, it never seemed to damage her magical core."

"That old coot better watch his step. He has managed to keep her from me with all of his brainwashing but it is clearly coming to an end. Now Severus, tell me the story again, of how my daughter took the old man right off his feet." Voldemort said, a maniacal glint to his eye as a smile lit up his face.

*Break*

"I need to speak with you."

"Come, have a seat ." Dumbledore said, his voice deeper, as if he had aged over night.

"I want to know why Professor Snape and McGonagall are bound by oath."

"You must understand that, at the time, things were very dangerous Hermione."

"Yes, it seems as if even a mother having dinner with her friend was not safe in those times."

"That was a sad accident. I never meant for anything to happen to your mother, you must believe me."

"No actually, I don't. I'm not sure what I believe right now, but I do know that I have lost all trust in you right now. You've done nothing but lie to me since before I even stepped foot into Hogwarts."

"I believed it.."

"Was for the greater good, yes, I know. Now, why are they under oath? What can they not tell me?"

"I made a grave mistake after your mother was killed. I sent two members of the Order to find information and, without my knowledge, they tortured Bellatrix Lestrange for information. At the time she was just a young woman who was following the beliefs of her family. I was devastated to find out what had happened."

"Interesting, it's my understanding that you were fully aware of the type of men the Prewett twins were before you sent them to attack her."

"I.." Dumbledore stuttered, obviously caught unaware that she had already known about the incident. Hermione sat, staring at him expectantly.

"I did not know it would end the way it did."

"Why were the torturing her, what information did you want?"

"We were trying to find out if you were safe. Tom was wreaking havoc on the community, we were concerned that you were not being taken care of."

"So you tortured Bellatrix? Just to find out if I was alright? I don't believe you. You would not risk members of the Order for a single child, it doesn't benefit your 'greater good'. Tell me the truth." She said, the last part in a low, almost dangerous tone.

"Hermione, these were very different times…"

"You were trying to kidnap me, weren't you? That's really what this was. You kidnapped me, before he was gone. You weren't protecting me, you were trying to hurt him." Hermione said, realization dawning on her. "When? When did you order them to kidnap me?"

Dumbledore sunk slightly in his chair, there was little he could do here. He needed to tell her the truth and then hope that Severus or Minerva could gain the girls trust enough to keep her securely in with the light. "October 25th, 1981."

Hermione stood quickly, anger rolling off her in waves. This was all HIS fault! "You did this!" She screamed and then everything was black.

*Break*

"Come on, wake up ." Professor Snape's voice called to her.

"Wha — what happened?" She said holding her head.

"Your blasted magic. It must be dealt with immediately. You will see me tomorrow as scheduled and the all day Saturday you will work with me. This is too dangerous Ms. Granger." Professor Snape snapped out the last part, offering his hand to pull her up off the floor. Hermione groggily shook her head, and attempted to stand, swaying a little, unsteady on her feet. "Ugh." She groaned.

"Yes, I'd imagine your head hurts quite a bit, my dear. An uncontrolled magical outburst of that magnitude has probably drained you." Dumbledore said, a tight smile aimed at her.

"I…I didn't mean to do this." She said, looking around the Headmasters office in horror. Shelves were dangling sideways on the wall, papers littered the floor, a splinter ran down the large wooden desk, which had been cleared of everything that was previously on it, and Fawkes sat with his feather ruffled with obvious displeasure at the disturbance. "I'm so sorry." Hermione breathed out.

"It was obviously an accident , nothing a little magic won't fix. Run along to the infirmary and see Madam Pomfrey for a pepper up." Dumbledore responded. Hermione turned and quickly left down the spiral staircase, her cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

"She is extremely powerful. You must help her Severus."

"I know, that is what I'm trying to do Headmaster. You had to have anticipated this, you bound her magic multiple times and you knew some of the residual bind was left."

"Yes, but I did not expect he would announce this – I was not even aware he knew who she was! This has all gone terribly wrong, Severus. We must keep her in the light, we cannot afford for her to abandon Harry."

"Always about your golden boy, isn't it." Snape sneered.

"He is our only hope, we must protect him."

"All of your efforts to protect him have only led to loss and destruction. From where I'm standing it seem as if you've done more harm than good."

"Just follow your orders Severus. Gain Hermione's trust, get her magic under control and keep her close to Harry." Dumbledore snapped back, obviously irritated and in pain from his fall.

"Yes, Headmaster." The words falling from Severus with clear disdain at being given orders.

"Heal me before you go. I'm fairly certain I've a concussion from being tossed across the room." The old man stated, placing his hand to the back of his head.

*Break*

"Malfoy!" Hermione screamed.

"He isn't here, but if you need someone to assist you, I could be that man." Blaise said from his position on the couch.

"Gross, take your pretty boy act elsewhere Zambini. Where's Malfoy?"

"Went to check on some second year who blew up a cauldron earlier; I'm sure he'll be back in a few minutes." The boy shrugged, not showing any care that Hermione had snapped at him. "What do you need him for anyway?"

"None of your business. Just ask him to come see me when he comes back." She said before slamming her bedroom door closed.

Blaise sat, pondering what could have had Granger worked into such a tizzy. After fifteen minutes Draco walked back into the new Head quarters. "Sorry, took forever. Ruddy kid, broke every bone in his arm but he'll be alright."

"Granger wants you to talk to her." Blaise said, completely ignoring Draco's statements about the second year. "She's pissed at something, hope it isn't you mate, she seems a little terrifying."

"Hm, odd. Yeah, she is something else." Draco said, staring at the door.

"Do you…like her, Draco?" Blaise questioned, noting the odd look on his face.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I've always been pretty drawn to her, you know that, but before she was forbidden. My parents would never have approved of a friendship, let alone anything else. Now….I'm not sure. That pull hasn't changed, but the situation is different." He trailed off, silent for a few moments. "It doesn't matter though, she has too much going on for me to even entertain anything else."

"Right." Blaise said, acknowledging his friends obvious struggle. "Well on that note I'm going to head out and let you deal with whatever that is."

"See you later, mate." Draco said. As the common room door closed Draco turned towards Hermione's room.

"Granger." He said, with a light knock. The girl opened the door quickly, as though she'd been standing near it already, "Blaise said you were looking for me."

"Do you have a way to speak with your father, besides an owl?" She asked.

"Yes." He responded, not even attempting to keep up the pretense of needing to send an owl like most students.

"I'd like to see my Father. Can you make that happen?"

Draco simply nodded and walked into his room to contact his father.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: I am playing slightly with the cannon timeline to make things work for my story – In cannon Tom Riddle applied for the Defense position in 1966 at Hogwarts but for the story I'm going to have it be in 1960!

 **Chapter 6**

Hermione stood in the entry way of Malfoy Manor waiting for her father. She rolled the title around in her mind, _father, how odd to think of him this way. Voldemort was silly, she wasn't his follower so she would not be calling him My Lord and Tom….it just didn't fit. But father_ , such an odd thing when this time last week she was finding out about him.

"Hello Hermione, Draco." He said with a nod to both of them.

"Hello, My Lord." Draco responded, tilting his head in a respectful acknowledgement. Hermione observed Draco, noticing that he did not shy away from the man in front of them, did not cower, did not seem to be nervous at all like she had observed among his other followers.

"I'll be with my parents in the sitting room when you're done." Draco said to her.

"Thanks."

*Break*

"I'll admit that I was surprised when Lucius said you wanted to meet with me this soon after our last meeting."

"What made you think I wouldn't contact you?"

"Our ideologies do not exactly match, Hermione. I have also been told that you're known for your stubbornness." He said with a slight smirk.

"I've been busy finding things out about my life that no one saw fit to tell me."

"And what questions has that led you to have for me, daughter?"

"Just one, what do you want from me?"

"Many things, Hermione."

"I want to know precise things – what is it you want to gain in your relationship with me?"

"The first thing I would like is to know you, I have had many years with you taken from me and so I find myself simply intrigued as to who you have become in my absence."

"What else?"

"I want us to become family, for you to be apart of the vision I have for our world and to teach you. You are powerful Hermione and you should have had years of practice to harness your powers. These ridiculous magical outbursts are unsafe and the fault of Dumbledore. Had your mother and I had you with us, you would not be staggering like a newborn foal."

"How do you know about those?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"Severus, of course."

"But I thought…"

"Thought that he was Dumbledore's pet? He has been loyal to me for many years."

Hermione pondered his statements and wondered throughout her years at Hogwarts how much information had been passed from Professor Snape to Him regarding her.

"Have you kept up with me using Professor Snape?"

"Yes, for years Severus has made sure you were kept safe."

"You want nothing else from me?"

"I do, but they are not as important as wanting to now you."

"I still want to know what they are."

"I would like to gain my old body back, through a spell, should you one day choose to participate in that, I would be able to attain that."

"How? It is somewhat like the spell that Potter was used for during your 4th year, however this is only with a participant of free will."

"Ah, it makes sense now."

"Make no mistake Hermione that it is not something I need from you, it would simply be a preference. This state," He said with a gesture to his body, "is a powerful vessel that I have honed my magic with. You, as my _daughter_ , has been my utmost want for years."

"I'm not sure if I can believe you, but I do appreciate that you are at least being truthful. If that is everything, I'm going to find Draco and go back to school."

"Stay another moment, there is something I need to discuss still."

Hermione lowered herself back into the chair.

"While I do not believe this is the right time to have this discussion, but I have decided I do not want you to be blindsided when new knowledge is published at the end of the week."

"What is it now?" She said with a slight cry to her voice. "I thought everything had been published with the inheritance information."

"There is one small piece I had the writer leave out but many people are digging into your information and given your age it will be of great interest soon. With that I have given the writer a controlled story that he is allowed to publish in the Prophet on Friday.

"Will the backlash be that bad?"

"I believe there will be some from your housemates. I also do not want you upset when you could have heard it from me. You must remember Hermione that while you have not grown up in the pure blood community, you have a strong ties to it."

"I'm betrothed. That's what this is about?" She said with a sigh. She had thought of this only yesterday. While He was not a pure blood himself, his family was and so was her mothers.

"Yes, you are. Your mother and I were very specific about who we chose and made sure that your magic was compatible before following through with it."

"To who? It must be within the sacred 28 and I would assume a family from your follo…" she trailed of and started to shake her head. "Of course. I would not have noticed it before because I knew nothing of betrothal bonds but now…it all makes sense."

"What makes sense, Hermione?" He asked leaning forward slightly in his chair.

"The slight pull I've always had for Draco. I always assumed it was simply the competitiveness in me; he's the only other person in my year to rival my grades. We've gone back and forth in every class on who has the highest marks. I never thought, because I didn't know." She said the last part, an incoherent sentence that summarized how she was processing the realization. "Does he know?" She asked.

"His parents are telling him now; it is why Lucius asked him to accompany you. Are you angry?"

"I want to be but I'm conflicted. I'm angry that I don't have a choice in who I can love, I'm angry because I think it's barbaric that this practice still goes on but I also realize you were only following centuries of tradition. I am curious though, why was my mother not betrothed?"

"She was, I simply stopped it."

"But I didn't think that's how betrothal worked?"

"It depends on the magic used to create the betrothal and also greatly depends on the compatibility between the children. Your mother was betrothed early on, much like you, but that arrangement fell through when the child died at the age of 6. Her parents quickly betrothed her to another child but she was 6 years his senior with little to no magical compatibility."

"That was why she was still unmarried at 24." Hermione said clearing a question up that she had previously wondered.

"Precisely. They were waiting for her fiancé to finish Hogwarts."

"Can my betrothal be broken?"

"I can look into it, if that is what you wish. I will say that to break a bond like the one you and Draco have will likely come at a cost."

"Such as?"

"Any marriage bond you have after will be very weak, there will always be a residual pull towards Draco as long as you are both alive."

"I don't want to be forced to love someone."

"I'm disappointed, you should know that bonds do not work that way. They do not create feelings, only help to strengthen compatibility, that compatibility in your magics is the 'pull' you describe. You can fall in love with another, you can be with others and perhaps, if we are unable to break the bond you and Draco can simply choose to live your lives that way, like many purebloods do that find themselves betrothed without compatibility."

"It's a horrible practice." She said feeling defeated.

"Does the idea of Draco disgust you that much?"

"It has nothing to do with him. I've disliked Draco for his childish behavior for years but it is not him that I have a problem with, it's just the act of betrothing children to one another when you have no idea who they will be."

"The practice was once helpful; pure blood families simply began to use it for the wrong reasons. You have missed so much knowledge your mother and I would have given you, Hermione. I want the opportunity to teach you, to show you the unspoken history of the wizarding world – I just ask that you consider giving me that chance."

"I'll think about. I should be going." She said standing.

"I'll walk you out."

As the walked down the hall in silence, she considered everything He had told her during their conversation. She was so confused, so many conflicting emotions on everything that was happening.

"I hope to see you soon. Perhaps you will consider attending the Malfoy's Winter Solstice ball."

"I'll think on it. Are you ready?" She asked, turning towards Draco.

"Oh, um, well yes, if you are." He stammered out, a slight redness tinging his cheeks.

Hermione snorted at him, "Is the great Draco Malfoy stuttering? It's just a little betrothal bond Malfoy, haven't you been aware of it your entire life?"

"Well, no. I mean, yes but I…damn it, Granger!" He huffed out. "I didn't know it was to you, I was just always told we'd discuss it when the time came. It caught me unaware is all."

"Hmph. Well let's go, I haven't got all night, we have NEWTS we should be studying for." She finished as they both stepped into the fireplace.

"Professor Snape, Hogwarts." Draco said, tossing the floo powder onto the floor.

"She's quite blunt, isn't she?" Lucius said with a chuckle.

"Just like her Mother." Voldemort responded, a smile briefly humanizing his face.

*Break*

"I'm sorry." Draco said when they got back to their shared quarters.

"For what?"

"The betrothal."

"Honestly!" Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "It's not as though, at only a few months old, you told your parents to do it. You didn't have any more say in the matter than I did."

"I know that; I guess I only mean I'm sorry it's happened to you and that you weren't expecting it."

"I think I was to a point, I realized it when he started talking to me about how 'normal' it was for he and my mother to do it. Then it became quite obvious to me, given my history with you, that you were who I was betrothed to."

"History?"

"That pull you were talking to Zambini about the other day."

"Heard that, did you?" He said, looking oddly like Ron as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck with embarrassment.

"Of course."

"You didn't say anything?"

"There didn't seem to be a point, everything you said was right. I don't have time for anything outside of all of this drama that has become my life." She responded, sliding herself into the couch in their shared common room.

"But, would you be open to it? If this wasn't going on I mean?"

"I honestly don't know Draco, but it seems as if there's a good chance I won't have much of a choice."

"I'd never force you, Hermione." He said, liking the ease that they seemed to be settling into with using their given names. "I don't want a marriage like that. If we aren't happy together, we'll seek love elsewhere."

"A love that will never be complete? I'm not sure that sounds appealing either."

"We'll figure it out. For now, let's figure out how you'd like to handle Friday."

"Can we talk about it tomorrow, I'm exhausted. I'd also like one more day of some normalcy before everything blows up again." She sighed.

"Sure, goodnight Hermione."

"Goodnight Draco."

 ***Break***

 _ **October 8**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 1997**_

 _ **From Hermione Granger to Hermione….Malfoy?**_

 _ **It has become knowledge to this reporter that Hermione Granger, who should now be known as Hermione Riddle to the wizarding world, is betrothed to be married to Draco Malfoy. The children were bound during their first year of life with "one of the strongest bonds" noted on record, according to Mathilda Devon of the Betrothal and Marriage Department, Ministry of Magic. It seems only fitting that the young couple are top of their class, as well as Head Boy and Girl, at Hogwarts this year. Due to the unfortunate accident, which I promise readers I am still investigating, that led to Hermione growing up outside of the wizarding community, Hermione and Draco have only recently learned of their bond. While they were not available for comment, the parents of the young Malfoy were.**_

" _ **We're just excited to finally be able to tell Draco about his bond, it's not often there is such a wonderful match" Narcissa Malfoy commented.**_

 _ **Her husband, Lucius Malfoy and member of the Wizengamont, commented that Draco has "been enamored with the girl from his first moments of Hogwarts, I'm only sorry we didn't know who she was earlier. They've missed out on so much time with one another".**_

 _ **It is clear the wizarding world can expect many great things to come from this budding couple. I look forward to writing you later this year when they make their debut into wizarding society at the Malfoy's annual winter solstice ball.**_

Hermione shoved the paper away from her. _Nothing terrible, except the bit about their debut at the ball, she hadn't even agreed to go yet._ She sighed, knowing this article would only earn her more grief from her housemates. She looked across the Great Hall to the Slytherin table and saw Draco's friends slapping him on the back. She snorted, _as if he'd done something great when only a few weeks ago some of them had been calling her mudblood._

"You're disgusting." A third year Gryffindor spat at her as she walked as far away from where Hermione sat to sit for breakfast. _Apparently the word had already begun to spread_. She stood finished eating her toast and went to leave, wanting to avoid the majority of students gossiping about her.

"Oomph, sorry!" She said as she backed into someone trying to get out of the seat. "Oh, Harry!" She said, her face turning into a smile.

The boy glared back, "Fuck off, Hermione. Ron was right, you are just a death eater whore now."

Hermione gripped her books tightly to her chest and hurried from the Great Hall, a tear slipping down her cheek.


End file.
